


Hear My Call (Pity Me)

by MCUsic_to_my_ears



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Depression, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Outer Space, Panic, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Tony Stark, Song Lyrics, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 11:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18738034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCUsic_to_my_ears/pseuds/MCUsic_to_my_ears
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERS CONTAINEDTony had Peter and then he didn't. Moving on is not in his vocabulary.





	Hear My Call (Pity Me)

**Author's Note:**

> Song Fic to Queen's '39.

Peter watched Tony. Always in awe. Always yearning to meet him halfway. The newest model of the Ironman suit dipped and spun through the night sky. Peter laughed and hollered at Tony's display. 

The older hero allowed the excess.

Anything for his boy. Everything. 

 

 

_ In the year of '39 assembled here the volunteers _

_ In the days when the lands were few _

_ Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn _

_ The sweetest sight ever seen _

 

 

Tony had called the kid that morning. Facetimed and everything. Field trip, Peter had told him, to the Empire State Building. Tony joked about how it was by far the lamest building in town. Peter protested, "Stark Tower isn't open to the public!"

Field trip. 

Tony figured this was something like that. 

"Uhh, Mr. Stark? I'm being beamed up!" 

_ Shit _ . "Hang on, kid," he promised. He and Wong sent the alien he was fighting through a portal.  _ Get to the kid _ , Tony demanded mentally.  _ Get the kid home _ . His mantra as he continued to fight.

"Wong, you're invited to my wedding," he quipped, already flying to Peter. "Give me a little juice, F.R.I.D.A.Y," he urged.  _ The kid.  _ Then, _ Earth was supposed to be closed. I have a date. _ "Unlock 17-A."  _ The kid, come on, Fri. Get the kid.  _ "Pete, you gotta let go. I'm gonna catch you." He heard the blast of a second set of thrusters coming up behind him. 

Peter argued to his last breath. Then,  _ shit shit shit _ he was free falling until Peter's suit caught him. Tony caught him. Peter landed, heartbeat displayed on Tony's HUD. 

Tony tried  _ I promise, May, I tried. You know Pete, though  _ to send him home "Happy trails" but field trip wasn't over yet. Until it was. 

 

 

_ And the night followed day _

_ And the story tellers say _

_ That the score brave souls inside _

_ For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas _

_ Never looked back, never feared, never cried _

 

 

"We have work to do, Stark."

Right. Work. Tony tore his gaze from the pin prick of Titan in the distance. He breathed in deeply, the recycled air a gift. He was no longer breathing in the last pieces of Peter.  _ May is going to kill me. If Thanos didn't kill her first _ . He held his breath until the thought was nothing more than a bad taste in his mouth. 

"Coming, dear." He fell flat. 

Nebula rolled her eyes at him. 

His heart still beat to the patter of Peter's excited footsteps the first time he enter Tony's lab. He turned around. Space was no place for a kid. Tony placed his hand on the Ironman helmet, drawing strength. Peter's worship. His kid would want him to continue forward. But space was no place for a kid. 

_ That goddamned field trip. _

 

 

_ Don't you hear my call though you're many years away _

_ Don't you hear me calling you _

_ Write your letters in the sand _

_ For the day I take your hand _

_ In the land that our grandchildren knew _

 

 

"Hey, kid." He blinked at the scanning blue light. "I know. God, this is dumb. You're- you're gone. It's different, with Pep, because maybe she isn't, but I watched you-" 

Tony rested his head in his hands. 

"It was never supposed to go like this. Never. It was always me before you. Thanos took that away from me. Took you,  _ god _ . I was such an idiot. All those years, every day in the lab. I never once thought that life was as momentous as it was. I manufactured death, but I put in too much effort I guess." He shook his head. "You better be in goddamned heaven right now, Pete. You hear me? And God, if you put my goddamned kid anywhere else-" 

_ Get the kid home, God. He deserves home _ .

 

 

_ In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue _

_ The Volunteers came home that day _

_ And they bring good news of a world so newly born _

_ Though their hearts so heavily weigh _

_ For the earth is old and grey, little darlin' we'll away _

 

 

Pepper was warm and real and  _ alive _ against his skin and he had promised to never be happy again, but he allowed this one transgression. To just hold her in his arms. The last person  _ kid _ he had done that with had crumbled  _ oh my god, Peter _ but Pepper was solid like no one else had ever been. 

She guided him inside, wiped his forehead as Rhodey checked over his body for injuries.  _ Peter needs a doctor. Peter needs to be stitched back together, Rhodey _ .

"Tony," Pepper whispered. "It's going to be okay." 

He didn't realize he was crying. 

"Let's get married." 

"Okay."

"Life's too short."

"I know."

"I lost the kid."

"Oh, Tones."

He didn't realize he was sobbing.

 

 

_ But my love this cannot be _

_ For so many years have gone though I'm older but a year _

_ Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me _

 

 

"FRIDAY, check the registry for May Parker." 

"Tony, I don't think-" 

"Can it, Cap."

Steve quieted. He settled a hand on Tony's shoulder which the scientist was too hopeless to push off.  _ Peter, come home. Captain America's here. Your favorite superhero. _

"Alive, sir." 

"I have to go."

"Tony-" 

"FRIDAY, fire up the jet, will you?" 

"Yes, sir." 

Tony pulled back out the IV.  _ I'm so sorry, May. Our kid. I promised I would keep him safe. _

_ Peter. _

 

 

_ Don't you hear my call though you're many years away _

_ Don't you hear me calling you _

_ Write your letters in the sand _

_ For the day I take your hand _

_ In the land that our grandchildren knew _

 

 

Tony knew he was the one who campaigned to have the gender be a surprise, but he couldn't help but sigh with relief when his healthy little girl was placed into his arms. 

No one was replacing his kid.  _ Peter, you have a sister now. _

"Hi there, Morgan," he cooed. "Hi there, my sweet baby girl." 

She cried, but so did Tony and so did Pepper. 

Life was momentous. Tony sat at the top of a pyramid, crossroads abound. Morgan pulled him to the rest of his life with her first breath. 

 

 

_ Don't you hear my call though you're many years away _

_ Don't you hear me calling you _

_ All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand _

 

 

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, baby girl?" 

"Who's that?"

Tony followed her gaze and his throat dried immediately. "That's your big brother, sweetheart." 

"Where?" 

"He's gone now. But he loves you so much. And he is so proud of all that you are going to do." 

 

 

_ For my life _

_ Still ahead _

_ Pity me _

 

 

"We got really lucky."

"Yeah, I know."  _ Kid _ .

"A lot of people didn’t."

"No, I can’t help everybody."  _ Peter _ .

"It sort of seems like you can."

"Not if I stop. I can put a pin in it right now, and stop."  _ Get the kid home _ .

"Tony, trying to get you to stop has been one of the few failures of my entire life."

"Something tells me I should put it in a locked box and drop it at the bottom of a lake, and go to bed."  _ Come home _ .

"But would you be able to rest?"  _ Come home, Peter. _


End file.
